Patoda/Beed: In a dramatic turn of events, Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil addressed a massive gathering at Patoda in Maharashtra’s Beed district at 2:00 a.m., warning that severe physical exhaustion might force him to cancel his onward march to Mumbai.
Entering the 18th day of his hunger strike, Jarange Patil stated that if supporters continue to convoy behind him, he will halt his journey and resume his sit-in strike locally or return to Antarwali Sarati.
Despite arriving at the venue around 1:30 a.m., thousands of Maratha community members, including women, waited through the night to hear him speak.
Addressing the crowd with visible physical frailty, Jarange Patil declared that he could barely move his limbs after stopping IV fluids on September 12. “Fighting for the children of my community has taken a toll on my body, but I have taken on the government for you. The government wants me to surrender, but should I abandon our demand? My community is greater than any government – it is my father. My community holds the power to bring down any government and install a new one,” he asserted.
Jarange Patil highlighted the movement’s progress, noting that 58 lakh archival records (nondi) have been uncovered, paving the way for nearly 2.5 crore community members to access reservation benefits. He emphasised that the current push is to secure the official government gazette.
He also launched a direct attack on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, claiming he has countered political manoeuvres step-by-step and alleging that all documented records have been safely secured on pen drives.
He went further to accuse CM Fadnavis of “plotting against his life”.
Responding to the argument regarding fruit-orchard owners in Western Maharashtra, he questioned, “The government claims Western Maharashtra has fruit orchards, but don’t OBC communities own orchards too? Why do they have a reservation then?”
Jarange Patil stated that holding a rally tour during an indefinite fast is unsustainable. He asked supporters not to follow his vehicle out of Patoda, urging them to directly meet at Khopoli instead, or risk him returning to Antarwali or resuming his fast in Patoda from Beed district.
In a message to his family, Jarange Patil said, “I have told my family to live with self-respect. I told my son to step up courageously if I give my life for the community. Let one life be sacrificed for the cause, but never let the dignity of our caste be lowered.”
Expressing his intent to communicate directly with the police, he stated he would prefer to travel straight to Mumbai from Patoda without a massive public entourage, provided his physical condition permits.
(IANS)
